Trupanion Pet Insurance Review
Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
4.5 NerdWallet rating | Plans offered: Accident and illness. | |
Breadth of coverage: Average. | Range of plan options: Good. | Can pay your vet directly: Yes. |
The bottom line: Its unique per-condition deductible could save you money if your pet develops a chronic illness. | ||
Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Seattle, Trupanion operates slightly differently than most pet insurers. Instead of offering an annual deductible that you have to pay each year before you start getting reimbursed, in most states, Trupanion offers per-condition deductibles. Once you meet the deductible, your pet's treatments for that condition will be met for life.
What's more, in Florida, Trupanion is testing a plan that has no deductibles at all.
Trupanion also has some consumer-friendly features that aren't available from some other insurers. For instance, if you're worried about saying yes to pricey treatment because you're unsure it'll be covered, you can contact Trupanion 24 hours a day for preapproval.
Trupanion won't automatically increase your pet's premium just because they're another year older. Instead, premiums will change from time to time to reflect the cost of vet care for pets like yours in your area.
Trupanion is the pet insurance provider for State Farm.
Trupanion pet insurance
4.5
NerdWallet ratingTrupanion earned 4.5 stars out of 5 for overall performance. Our editorial team determines NerdWallet's ratings. The scoring formula considers consumer experience, coverage options and financial strength ratings.
Based on this rating, Trupanion is on NerdWallet's list of the Best Pet Insurance Companies.
Trupanion pros and cons
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Unlimited annual and lifetime coverage for all pets. | Exam fees aren't covered. |
Per-condition deductibles could save you money if your pet develops a chronic illness. | Coverage for rehab, acupuncture and other complementary therapies costs extra in most states. |
Doesn't automatically raise premiums as your pet gets older. |
State availability
Trupanion offers pet insurance in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Trupanion pet insurance plans
Trupanion offers a single accident and illness plan with unlimited payouts for every dog or cat. The company doesn't sell wellness or accident-only plans.
What Trupanion pet insurance covers
Trupanion pet insurance covers the following:
Treatment, hospitalization and surgery for injuries and illnesses, including cancer.
Diagnostic tests.
Hereditary conditions.
Congenital conditions.
Prescription medications.
Prescription food and supplements purchased through a veterinarian.
Prosthetic devices and carts.
Herbal therapy.
Dental disease.
In most states, you can buy the following additional coverage:
Recovery and complementary care rider: This includes coverage for physical therapy and rehab, acupuncture, behavioral modification, chiropractic care, hydrotherapy and homeopathy.
Pet owner assistance package: This covers non-medical expenses such as boarding fees if you're hospitalized, a monetary reward to offer if your pet is lost and cremation or burial services if your pet dies in an accident.
In Florida, the standard Trupanion plan includes rehabilitative therapy, chiropractic care and hydrotherapy at no extra cost.
» MORE: Is pet insurance worth it?
What's not covered
A Trupanion plan won't pay for the following:
Exam fees for accidents or illnesses.
Pre-existing conditions.
Wellness and preventive care, including spay/neuter surgery, vaccinations and flea/tick medication.
Routine dental care.
Elective or cosmetic procedures such as declawing or tail docking.
Conditions arising from racing or mistreatment.
Trupanion coverage options
Deductibles: In most states, Trupanion offers deductibles ranging from $0 to $1,000. Unlike most pet insurers, which have annual deductibles that apply to all accidents or illnesses your pet has in a given year, Trupanion applies its deductibles to individual conditions. Once you've reached the deductible for a particular illness, you don't have to pay it anymore for the life of your pet.
Say your dog develops allergies and requires ongoing medication. With an annual deductible, you'd have to pay it each year if your dog continued to need treatment. With Trupanion's per-condition deductible, you'd pay it once and be done. However, if your dog also had to go to the vet for a different problem, you'd pay an additional, separate deductible.
In Florida, Trupanion charges no deductibles.
Reimbursement amounts: Trupanion offers 90% reimbursement for all pets in most states. That means once you've hit your deductible, you'll be responsible for only 10% of your vet bill and Trupanion will pay the other 90%.
In Florida, you can customize your reimbursement amount to any level between 50% and 90%.
Coverage limits: Trupanion has no annual, per-condition or lifetime coverage limits.
» MORE: What does pet insurance cover?
Restrictions and waiting periods
Age restrictions: There's no minimum age limit. Older pets can be enrolled up until their 14th birthday.
Waiting periods: A waiting period is a time between when you buy your policy and when your coverage starts. The waiting period for Trupanion is five days for injuries and 30 days for illnesses.
Discounts
A discount may be available for service animals. However, it doesn't apply to emotional support pets or service animals in Washington state.
Consumer experience
Website: Trupanion's website is chock-full of information about its coverage and plan options, including a sample policy you can review for your state. You can get an online quote, file and track claims, pay for your policy and update your billing information on the website.
App: Trupanion's app is relatively simple, allowing you to submit and track claims, view plan information and earn rewards by referring friends.
Claims: Trupanion can reimburse you for vet bills you've already paid or send payment directly to your vet if the vet uses the company's software. If direct payment isn't an option at your vet's office, you can submit invoices online or by email, mail or fax. The company says it processes over half of the claims within 24 hours. You can check the status of your claim through your online portal and get paid via direct deposit.
Customer service: You can contact Trupanion via phone (888-733-2685), email ([email protected]) or live chat 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Trupanion vs. competitors
Here's how Trupanion stacks up against three other popular pet insurance companies.
Trupanion vs. Healthy Paws
Like Trupanion, Healthy Paws offers a single accident and illness plan with no payout limits. The main difference between the two insurers is the type of deductible offered. While Trupanion uses per-condition deductibles in most states, Healthy Paws charges an annual deductible that applies to all conditions and resets yearly. (In Florida, Trupanion has no deductibles at all.)
Healthy Paws also offers a range of reimbursement options, while Trupanion covers all pets at a 90% reimbursement level in most states.
Unlike Healthy Paws, Trupanion covers dental diseases plus some prescription food and supplements. That said, Healthy Paws includes alternative treatments in its standard plans, while Trupanion charges extra for this coverage in most states. In addition, neither company offers wellness plans or covers exam fees for accidents and injuries.
Both companies process claims quickly and can pay some vets directly. Read our full Healthy Paws pet insurance review.
Coverage options | Trupanion | Healthy Paws |
|---|---|---|
Deductible | $0 to $1,000 per condition (except in Florida, where no deductible applies). | $100 to $1,000 per year. (Not all options are available to all pets.) |
Reimbursement | 90% (except in Florida, where you can choose any reimbursement amount between 50% and 90%). | 50%, 60%, 70%, 80% or 90%. (Not all options are available to all pets.) |
Annual limit | Unlimited. | Unlimited. |
Trupanion vs. Nationwide
Trupanion's policy pays out at higher rates than Nationwide's plans, reimbursing 90% of vet expenses in most states rather than 50% or 70%. However, Nationwide's Whole Pet plan includes coverage for exam fees, behavioral therapies, acupuncture and chiropractic care. Trupanion never pays exam fees and charges extra to cover complementary therapies.
Like most pet insurers, Nationwide has an annual deductible, which could save you money over Trupanion's per-condition deductible if your pet visits the vet for multiple problems in a given year. But if you have a pet that develops a chronic condition, you may be better off with Trupanion's deductible.
Lastly, if you want wellness coverage, Nationwide offers it; Trupanion doesn't.
Learn more about Nationwide pet insurance.
Coverage options | Trupanion | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
Deductible | $0 to $1,000 per condition (except in Florida, where no deductible applies). | $250 per year. (Other options available by phone.) |
Reimbursement | 90% (except in Florida, where you can choose any reimbursement amount from 50% to 90%). | 50% or 70%. |
Annual limit | Unlimited. | $10,000. |
Trupanion vs. Pets Best
While Trupanion offers a single plan with generous reimbursement and unlimited payouts, Pets Best is all about options. You can add a wellness plan, cover accidents only or choose from a menu of deductibles, reimbursement amounts and coverage limits. That makes finding a price and plan you feel comfortable with easier.
Like most pet insurers, Pets Best applies deductibles annually, which could be more expensive than Trupanion's per-condition deductible if your pet develops an illness requiring ongoing care.
Both Pets Best and Trupanion offer the option to pay your vet directly. But only Pets Best has a helpline you can call with medical questions. It's staffed by vets 24 hours a day.
While neither company covers pre-existing conditions, Pets Best makes an exception for "curable" conditions, such as a broken leg or kennel cough. If that illness or injury is fully healed, it can be covered if it crops up again later in your pet's life.
Coverage options | Trupanion | Pets Best |
|---|---|---|
Deductible | $0 to $1,000 per condition (except in Florida, where no deductible applies). | $50 - $1,000. |
Reimbursement | 90% (except in Florida, where you can choose any reimbursement amount from 50% to 90%). | 70%, 80% or 90%. |
Annual limit | Unlimited. | $5,000 or unlimited. |
NerdWallet’s pet insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, coverage, plan options, discounts and more. Our “consumer experience” category looks at factors such as website transparency and how easy it is to file a claim. To calculate each insurer’s rating, we adjusted the scores to a curved 5-point scale. See our full pet insurance methodology.
These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
